Goldfish

[funnybunny]

I want to get goldfish... REALLY BAD. I know it sounds stupid but I just think for the amount of care/attention they require they seem like amazing pets! Apparently you only need to clean the tanks every 2/3 days and feed them once a day or something

I have cats so the fish will probably stay in my room with the door shut but would it be safe to put a cover on top of the bowl to prevent my cats getting in the tank providing they manage to get in my room?

Finally, how many goldfish would you recommend to be in the average bowl. Like you know the spherical ones that are averagey sized?

 

[Christine]

I have one goldfish and have had it for several years.

Actually, if you want them to live, they are a lot of work. One fish is best kept in a 10 gallon tank with a filter. I have to regularly empty the tank and change the water, put all sorts of stuff in it to detoxify the water, and make sure the pH level is correct. The fish is way more work than my dog. Never again.

If you use a bowl the fish may only live for a few months although you will hear of some anomalies where they live much longer. The more fish you have the bigger the bowl you need.

 

[funnybunny]

Thankyou

 

[Pembo]

We "caught" our fish at Goldfish Day at the pool we belonged to...9 summers ago. Yes 9 years!

The pool mgmt dumped buckets of goldfish in the pool and the kids jumped in after them. It sounds nasty to me but my boys loved it and almost 9 years later Flippy is still swimming in his round bowl with a little gravel.

I was at home with my 2 day old dd on Goldfish day. My mom insisted on buying a bowl and gravel. I figured the fish wouldn't last more than a couple days. However...

As for care, when someone remembers or the water level is less than half in the bowl, we put Flippy in a butter tub, dump out the water and rinse the gravel and refill the bowl with tap water. We usually fill a pot with water and let it sit out for a few hours to be room temp before cleaning. After the bowl is refilled Flippy is dumped back in along with a little food. He gets fed when someone remembers...every few days.

Again, Flippy will have been with 9 years in July. Very easy, very cheap pet.

 

[Princess_Meghan <3]

One of my best friends had a goldfish that her brother won at a fair- it lived in a spherical bowl, and honestly required very little care. they emptied the bowl maybe once a week, and fed it once a day, if they remembered. It lived for almost 11 years, if I remember correctly.

My sisters, on the other hand, won fish at the fair, and they did not live more than two weeks- they were in a filtered tank and were fed daily.

 

[SandrA9810]

If you want a bowl fish, go with a Betta. They're just as pretty to look at. I kept mine in a 10 gal tank and a 1 gal tank. But the 1 gal tank does require a bit more attention. Since there's less water, the ammonia can spike in it a lot faster than a 10 gal tank. The bigger the tank the more self sufficient they become. That's why you see more salt water tanks on the 50gal or larger side. It's hard to keep salt water level in a small tank.

I'd say about $50 (USD) to start up on a good 10 gallon tank. With only a couple of fish in it, I was able to change the water about once a month. 1/4-1/2 tank at a time. I completely gave up on gravel as it's a pain to clean and just left some decor pieces on the bottom for decorations. You can also put up a paper background to make it a little prettier.

I'd start with a 10 gal tank, water filter, hood with lights, and a heater. Mine was just a stick that sat in the corner of the tank with a dial on top for the temp. I had the thermometer in the opposite corner to keep track of the temps. Water testing kit and a water purifier (for fish) is also required. You don't want to add the fish till the water is clean enough for the fish.

Larger the living space, the easier they are to keep, and actually costs less over time.

 

[FredinFL]

If you want easy, go Beta. They are beautiful as well. But only one per bowl!

 

[funnybunny]

Thanks everyone, the feedbacks been a little mixed but I think I've decided I'm definitely going to get fish of some sort some time relatively soon Thanks for the feedback!

 

[Squirrel!!!]

I have goldfish that I have had for years. You can keep them in bowls, and some live a long time that way, but the better way is to cycle a tank and keep them in a well filtered tank.

My current goldies are 2 commons that live in a 60 gallon tank. They are both over 11 years old and are each about 7 inches long. I also have a fantail that is around 6 inches and 5 years old who lives in a 40 gallon tank. Both tanks are well maintained. (water changes on a schedule...etc.).

You can really get involved with whole management thing...water testing, and all. The chemistry and biology behind cycling a tank is actually pretty interesting.

There are a lot of resources on the web. I used www.kokosgoldfish.com a lot for much of my starting goldfish info.

I second the advice about getting a Betta. Much easier upkeep. My daughter has one, far easier.